Collapsible bag carrier



Feb. 26, 1963 J. slLvER 3,078,895

COLLAPSIBLE BAG CARRIER med Aug. 11, 1960 BL/fm,

United States Patent O 3,078,895 COLLAPSIBLE BAG CARRIER Julian Silver, Scarsdale, N.Y., assignor to Instant-Fold Products, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 48,980 4 Claims. (Cl. 150-1) This invention relates to a collapsible bag carrier.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a collapsible bag carrier which while adapted to carry a great many items can be folded in such a manner as to consume little space in ones handbag or be carried on the person when not in use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a collapsible bag carrier that after use can be folded by simply snap pulling the side ends apart from the center and folded from end to end into a small package for storage.

Itv is still another object of the invention to provide a collapsible bag carrier of pleated form adapted when extended in one size to carry one number of items, but which can also at the selection of the user be extended to a larger size when desired to carry a larger number of items and yet whether used in one size or the other, it can be folded and its pleats drawn together by simply snap pulling apart its side ends.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a collapsible bag carrier, having the above objects in mind, which is of simple construction, easy to manufacture, inexpensive, and durable, which will have repeated use, of pleasing appearance, eflicient and effective in use.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the collapsed bag carrier embodying the features of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the bag carrier showing the double thickness pleats and as viewed generally on line 2 2 of FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the bag carrier extended to the one small double thickness size, with illustrations of items or articles disposed therein and of the bag being grasped by handle portions at the open top and sides thereof for the purpose of being carried,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the bag carrier extended to the one size but with the sheet ends at one side of the carrier opened to expose the opening in the bag carrier for the large size, and

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional View of the bag carrier when it is extended to support the maximum number of items and to its large size and as viewed generally on line 5 5 of FIG. 4 with the bag in its fully extended position.

Referring now to the figures, l represents generally the collapsible bag carrier in its collapsed extended shape. This bag carrier is made of exible plastic sheet material that is folded upon itself in the center, as at 11, FIG. 2, and pleated in double layers to provide a series of pleats 12, 13 and 14. The free ends of the material are superposed upon each other at 15 and folded over to provide the handle extensions 16. The side ends of the folded pleats of the sheet material are joined or secured together preferably by heat sealing as indicated at 17 and 18 to provide the side ends or end formations. This heat sealing closes the ends of the bag and upon the double thickness pleats 12, 13 and 14 being extended downwardly upon placing various articles through opening 2.1 and the top edges 11 and 15 drawn together by hand clasp as shown in FIG. 3, the bag with the articles can be carried. Since this sheet material is of plastic and adequately sealed, the bag can be used to carry water. The end 17 ICC is cut away or notched as indicated at 19 to provide an opening through which Water can be poured.

When the articles A are disposed in the bag 10 as shown in FIG. 3, the bag is extended to one size opening or stage and is supplied with double thickness of the sheet material for retaining the articles. If the bag carrier 10 is to be used for containing more articles, the handle extensions 16 are spread apart as shown in FIG. 4 to provide access to a single layer of the pleated sheet material. The articles are disposed in an opening 20, FIG. 4, and are so filled that the bag is extended to its large size or second stage as shown in full in FIG. 5. The end formations 17 and 18 will sustain the pleated bag sheet material at the ends of the bag. The bag carrier 10 is in this manner extended to more than double its size and can contain a great many more of the articles as best illustrated in FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bag is collapsed and it can be further folded in from end to end into package form and such that it can be readily carried in ones pocket or handbag. After the articles have been removed the collapsing of the bag is effected simply by grasping the side ends on end formations 17 and 18 and snap pulling the pleats together. If the bag is to be used to take the larger number of articles as shown in FIG. 5, the handle extensions 16 of the sheet material are separated at 15 as shown in FIG. 4, and the articles are dropped into the space 20 thereby allowing the edge of the bag 11 to drop and become the bottom of the bag, FIG. 5. When the bag carrier 10 is in its small size form as shown in FIG. 3, the pleat 13 becomes the bottom of the bag. The sealed end formations 17 and 18 of the carrier always remain closed to form the side ends of the bag carrier. The side end formations 17 and 18 also serve as the handgrips for pulling the pleats together and into the folded shape shown in FIG. 1. This is done by grasping the side ends 17 and 1S with the two hands and pulling in a snap manner to snap the intermediate portions of the pleats and to draw and close them upon one another in flush engagement. The folded bag carrier can be folded from end to end thus readily carried in a handbag or ones pocket.

It will be apparent that there has been provided a collapsible bag carrier that can be formed of plastic material, such as polyethylene, that can be compacted into a small package and carried in a handbag or on ones person.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible bag carrier comprising a sheet of exible material folded upon itself and providing a folded bottom edge and an open top edge whereby a double thickness of material is provided, a plurality of pleats being formed throughout its full doubled thickness extent, the side ends of said pleats being superposed and secured together, the pleats upon being opened between the side ends serving to provide bag space and said secured side ends of the pleats serving as handgrips between which the pleats can be pulled apart to collapse the bag carrier.

2. A collapsible bag carrier comprising a sheet of exible plastic material folded upon itself and providing a folded bottom edge and an open top edge whereby a double thickness of material is provided, a plurality 0f pleats being formed throughout its full doubled thickness extent, the side ends of said pleats being superposed and heat sealed together, and said sheet material being waterproof and the bag carrier adapted to contain liquid, and one of said sealed side ends being notched to pro- 3 vide a Water spout opening through which the liquid can be` poured.

3. A collapsible bag carrier comprising a sheet of flexible material folded upon itself and its free ends brought together to provide a double thickness sheet and the double thickness sheet being pleated throughout its full doubled extent beginning with the fold, the side ends of said pleats being superposed upon each other and secured together to provide, upon the double thickness pleats being expanded between the secured side ends, either a bag of double thickness sheet, or upon said sheet having its double thickness pleats expanded at its free ends to provide an opening through which articles can be extended, a bag of single thickness sheet.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,390,049 Langres sept. '6, 1921 2,624,385 Hogan Jan. 6, 1953 2,827,093 Sheneld et al Mar. 18, 1958 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE BAG CARRIER COMPRISING A SHEET OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL FOLDED UPON ITSELF AND PROVIDING A FOLDED BOTTOM EDGE AND AN OPEN TOP EDGE WHEREBY A DOUBLE THICKNESS OF MATERIAL IS PROVIDED, A PLURALITY OF PLEATS BEING FORMED THROUGHOUT ITS FULL DOUBLED THICKNESS EXTENT, THE SIDE ENDS OF SAID PLEATS BEING SUPERPOSED AND SECURED TOGETHER, THE PLEATS UPON BEING OPENED BETWEEN THE SIDE ENDS SERVING TO PROVIDE BAG SPACE AND SAID SECURED SIDE ENDS OF THE PLEATS SERVING AS HANDGRIPS BETWEEN WHICH THE PLEATS CAN BE PULLED APART TO COLLAPSE THE BAG CARRIER. 